Weeknight Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

At the end of an epic, 3-hour Target shopping marathon, I found myself exhausted, hungry, and in a dangerous, dangerous place: the frozen pizza aisle. The plastic-wrapped Tombstone Deluxe was calling to me sweetly—until I remembered a formidable, stabilizing force in my life: Weeknight Whole Wheat Pizza Crust.

All that stands between you and the best, easiest homemade pizza crust of your life is 40 minutes and a few ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. This whole wheat pizza crust recipe requires only 10 minutes knead (100% of which can be done by mixer), 30 minutes to rise, and 5 seconds to devour .

Homemade pizza is one of our most frequent weeknight dinners, and this is my go-to recipe. It yields enough dough for two large pizzas and can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. With only one quick batch of this whole wheat pizza crust, I have enough homemade dough for two generous dinners, with leftovers to spare for lunch the next day.

A few years ago, I became obsessed with making wood oven-style pizza at home, which eventually lead me to this recipe. Although I still love it and think it makes a fabulous pizza, the yield is smaller (Ben and I can polish off a pizza and a half in one night), and the dough needs to rest for a minimum of 24 hours. It’s wonderful crust, but sometimes a hungry girl needs pizza NOW. I went on a quest for a homemade whole wheat pizza crust recipe that was attainable on a weeknight, when my stomach was growling before I’d even begun to cook.

My mission lead me to today’s pizza crust recipe, a modified version of the dough Ina Garten uses for 99% of her pizzas. Like the rest of Ina’s recipes, it is straightforward to prepare with excellent results. (Dear Ina, if you are reading this, I love you and will fly to the Hamptons immediately to be your personal assistant. ~xo, Erin)

A forever fan of fiber and whole grains, I wanted my perfect weeknight pizza crust to be whole wheat. I played around with various ratios of white to whole wheat flour, different types of whole wheat flour (regular whole wheat, white whole wheat, and whole wheat pastry), and I experimented with few different dough enhancers too.

Dozens of pizzas (and pizza-induced food comas) later, I can say with absolute certainty that today’s whole wheat pizza crust recipe is my favorite: half all-purpose flour, half white whole wheat flour. It’s really that simple. Regular whole wheat flour can be used in place of the white whole wheat, but the crust will be a little firmer and the nutty flavor of the whole wheat more pronounced. Also, a dough enhancer called vital wheat gluten is nice and will make the pizza crust softer, but it is not necessary. (If you want a little of the science behind vital wheat gluten, I talk about it towards the bottom of this post.)

Prepare to shame all frozen pizza, crust from a can, and anyone who ever lead you to believe that homemade pizza dough is too difficult for the average person to make at home. This whole wheat pizza crust recipe is healthy, easy, and yours for turning any old weeknight into fabulous homemade pizza night. In the words of my sister, for whom I made homemade pizza using this recipe: “WHOA. This crust is blowing my mind.”

Weeknight Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Yield: 2pizza crusts (enough for 2 10x15-inch pizzas)

Prep Time:

10mins

Total Time:

40mins

Never buy premade pizza dough again! This easy homemade whole wheat pizza crust recipe is quick enough to make on a weeknight and healthy too. It yields enough crust for two large pizzas and can be refrigerated for 3 days, so with only one batch, you'll have multiple nights' dinner at the ready.

Instructions

Place the water, yeast, olive oil, and honey in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. (If the bowl is cold, start with warmer water so it remains at least 100 degrees F when you add the yeast.) Add the 2 cups white whole wheat flour, 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, the vital wheat gluten (if using), and the salt. Mix on medium-low speed. (If you do not have a stand mixer, complete this step in a regular mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients.)

As you mix, slowly add the remaining 1 cup all purpose flour, adding just enough to make a soft dough. Mix the dough on medium-low speed (or knead by hand on a well-floured board) for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic, sprinkling it with flour as needed to keep it from sticking to the bowl. Spray a large, clean mixing bowl with cooking spray, then place the dough in the bowl and turn it once to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, rolling each 1 into a smooth ball. If you are only making 1 pizza, wrap the second dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to one month.

To bake the dough into a pizza: Place a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or dust the baking sheet with cornmeal. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, then roll it gently into a 11x14-inch rectangle, working from the center. If the dough springs back, allow it to rest a few minutes, then continue. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, then top with desired pizza toppings, being careful not to add too many, or the crust will not crisp in the center. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and lightly crisp.

Recipe Notes

Unbaked pizza dough can be rolled into a ball and stored well wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for two days or freezer for up to one month. If refrigerated, let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes, then proceed to roll the dough as directed. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight.

51 comments on “Weeknight Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust”

This is such a great recipe! I’m definitely trying it one night this week. By the way, I’m very familiar with Target shopping sprees. It’s a dangerously wonderful store. And they just put out all their Halloween candy…sigh.

Pinning this! We make pizza every week and I never plan far enough ahead to make real pizza dough. I love that there is only 30 minutes of rising! And the whole wheat! Thanks Erin, hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Ah, it’s always the best when you have some pizza dough stashed away for after exhausting shopping trips!! I need to get on the pizza dough making so I can have some in the freezer! I ran out of regular white dough…whole wheat sounds way better ;)

Sounds good, just not a whole wheat girl :) shame on me eh? Ina was on QVC yesterday and her book sold out…..she had some yummy recipes….I watch her on Food Network and I do like her, but she kinda has this nervous laugh that drives me up a wall !!!!!! sorry about that :) Have a great day…..

I’ve been far too impatient to try the 24 hour pizza crust, but it’s definitely on my list. 99% of my pizza nights include (gulp) Trader Joe’s pre-made pizza crust. I used to make homemade all the time, then I discovered said crust, and I rarely make my own. So bad, I know. I love that this takes little preparation AND little rising time!

Loooove me some amazing homemade pizza, and this one sounds absolutely fantastic. Also, a 3 hour Target trip…isn’t that the norm? lol, I feel like I always get suckered into something, then spend an hour justifying it to myself, then to my hubby lol. But homemade pizza over frozen pizza is the best, every single time!

Yay, way to go on not giving in to the frozen pizza aisle especially after a 3 hour shopping marathon :) We love homemade pizza and this whole wheat version sounds amazing! Can’t wait to give this quick weeknight version a try:)

Oh dear…. now I have absolutely no excuses left. I’m not really sure if I should be thanking you for this little gem of a recipe or throwing myself at you with gusto & thanks :) A really good pizza base makes all the difference. Yep…. it’s official…. it’s a mighty big thanks for sharing this one.

Hi Erin, thanks so much for this recipe! I have a tried and trust pizza crust that I use, and from time to time I’ll make it with half whole wheat or half spelt flour and I used to be able to find this 12 grain bread mix that was amazing blended in. But this post had a total light bulb moment for me – the vital wheat gluten! I’m from Canada but live in Sweden now, and ever since we moved here I’ve noticed that my pizza crusts (and bready things in general) don’t turn out very well. I did a bit of research and found out that the gluten content of Swedish flour is significantly lower than what I’m used to. Canadian flour has a gluten content of about 13% and I believe American is around 11% but Swedish (and most European flours) is a measly 8%. Since gluten is so thirsty, I’ve found my recipes all need to be adjusted and many just don’t turn out as well. But I bet a few tablespoons of vital wheat gluten would be a total game changer! I’m going to track some down and get to the bottom of this! Thanks so much for the inspiration!

Hi Emma! That is a great question, and I wish that I could give you a clear answer. Unfortunately, I am not experienced in baking gluten free. If you have had success subbing GF flour for wheat all purpose in other yeast bread recipes, I think it’s definitely worth trying. I wish I could give you a direct answer from experience, but unfortunately I just haven’t tried myself.

Thank you for the encouragement I needed to make my own pizza crust! The first time I followed the recipe as written (without the optional ingredient). Last night, I used half whole wheat and half white whole wheat flour. I increased the olive oil and vital wheat gluten by one tablespoon each and omitted the honey. Fabulous!

Hi Erin – I am a recent follower and have LOVED every recipe I have made from this blog. I am going to attempt the beet/apple/cheddar pizza this weekend. Curious – can I use brown whole wheat flour for this recipe? Thanks!!

Sara, so nice to virtually meet you, and I’m so glad you’re here! You can definitely use regular brown wheat flour, but just be aware that the flavor of the wheat will be more pronounced, and the crust will be more dense too. It all depends on your taste preferences. The white whole wheat has a more mellow, “white flour” flavor and lighter texture, but I make this crust both ways, and I’m not disappointed because I love whole-wheat. Really, it’s completely up to you. Thanks for your question, and I hope you love the recipe!

Hi Erin! This sounds wondetful. But what kind of dried yeast did you use, for I know that there ate different kinds in the US. In Germany we just have the fresh bakers yeast or regular dried… Have a great weekend!

Great question Claudia! The kind I use is specifically called “Active Dry Yeast,” which sounds most similar to the “regular dried” you mentioned. Just make sure you follow the yeast manufacturer’s directions to activate it properly and you should be good to go.

I notoriously suck at working with yeast, and I got this dough to turn out marvelously! I am no longer scared of making homemade dough, and am excited to wow our home with homemade pizza regularly. Bye bye Pilsbury. Thank you Erin!

Thank you for this recipe! My result gets better each time I make it. The ingredients are so simple and clean! I now can eat pizza again and feel good about what I’ve eaten . My husband and kids love when I make “homemade” pizza thanks to you!